No abstract available.
Genes, Viral* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

The Korea's first-ever on-line biomedical ethics education class began in September 1999. The class, one of the 18 on-line lectures offered in the Fall Semester, 1999 by Seoul National University Virtual Campus, allows the Korean general public the opportunity to attend an SNU lecture. Although the discussion sites are limited to the randomly selected 40 students taking the 16-week-long course, any one can read the instructor's lecture on the Internet. (http://snuvc. snu.ac.kr/class/h601) The topics of this course include abortion, euthanasia, organ transplantation, human cloning and etc. As members of the team responsible for this unprecedented biomedical ethics education program in Korea, we, the authors, report the experiences that the team went through both in preparing for and running the course. We concludes from the experience that we had that 16 weeks are too long for an on-line course without academic credits or sufficient number of tutors. Also, we suggest that in the near future the on-line biomedical ethics course should be able to be used for continuing education of such medical professions as medical doctors and nurses.
Bioethics* ; Cloning, Organism ; Education ; Education, Continuing ; Euthanasia ; Humans ; Internet ; Korea ; Lectures ; Organ Transplantation ; Running ; Seoul ; Transplants

Transcriptional co-activator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) is an important factor in lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-induced promotion of migration and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The expression of TAZ significantly increased at 6 h after LPA treatment, and TAZ knockdown inhibited the LPA-induced migration and proliferation of MSCs. In addition, embryonic fibroblasts from TAZ knockout mice exhibited the reduction in LPA-induced migration and proliferation. The LPA1 receptor inhibitor Ki16425 blocked LPA responses in MSCs. Although TAZ knockdown or knockout did not reduce LPA-induced phosphorylation of ERK and AKT, the MEK inhibitor U0126 or the ROCK inhibitor Y27632 blocked LPA-induced TAZ expression along with the reduction in the proliferation and migration of MSCs. Our data suggest that TAZ is an important mediator of LPA signaling in MSCs in the downstream of MEK and ROCK signaling.
Animals ; Fibroblasts ; Humans* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Phosphorylation ; Receptors, Lysophosphatidic Acid

Transcriptional co-activator with a PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) is an important factor in lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-induced promotion of migration and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The expression of TAZ significantly increased at 6 h after LPA treatment, and TAZ knockdown inhibited the LPA-induced migration and proliferation of MSCs. In addition, embryonic fibroblasts from TAZ knockout mice exhibited the reduction in LPA-induced migration and proliferation. The LPA1 receptor inhibitor Ki16425 blocked LPA responses in MSCs. Although TAZ knockdown or knockout did not reduce LPA-induced phosphorylation of ERK and AKT, the MEK inhibitor U0126 or the ROCK inhibitor Y27632 blocked LPA-induced TAZ expression along with the reduction in the proliferation and migration of MSCs. Our data suggest that TAZ is an important mediator of LPA signaling in MSCs in the downstream of MEK and ROCK signaling.
Animals ; Fibroblasts ; Humans* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Phosphorylation ; Receptors, Lysophosphatidic Acid

A 3-year-old girl presented with polydipsia and polyuria for last 2 years. Her fluid intake was 7~8 L/day, and urinalysis showed low osmolality and specific gravity. Central diabetes insipidus (DI) was diagnosed by a water deprivation test. Intranasal 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin relieved her symptoms and normalized urinary concentrations. A T1-weighted MRI scan revealed a symmetrical thickening of the central part of the pituitary stalk. Six months after the diagnosis of central DI, she developed papular skin lesions on her forehead. The lesions were surgically removed, and histologically classified as Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). We concluded that thickening of the central part of the pituitary stalk might represent the first manifestation of LCH clinically presenting with central DI. In children with central DI, special attention should be paid to the appearance of the pituitary stalk using MRI for the various manifestations of LCH in the central nervous system.
Central Nervous System ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Forehead ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osmolar Concentration ; Pituitary Gland ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Skin ; Specific Gravity ; Urinalysis ; Vasopressins ; Water Deprivation

Conidial development of Cordyceps militaris was observed from germinating ascospores and vegetative hyphae through light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ascospores were discharged from fresh specimens of C. militaris in sterile water as well as Sabouraud Dextrose agar plus Yeast Extract (SDAY) plates. We observed ascospore germination and conidial formation periodically. Under submerged condition in sterile water, most part-spores germinated unidirectionally and conidia were developed directly from the tips of germinating hyphae of part-spores within 36 h after ascospore discharge, showing microcyclic conidiation. First-formed conidia were cylindrical or clavate followed by globose and ellipsoidal ones. Germination of ascospores and conidial development were observed on SDAY agar by SEM. Slimy heads of conidia on variously arranged phialides, from solitary to whorl, developed 5 days after ascospore discharge. Besides, two distinct types of conidia, elongated pyriform or cylindrical and globose, were observed in the same slimy heads by SEM. Conidia were shown to be uninucleate with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Conidiogenous cells were more slender than vegetative hyphae, having attenuated tips. Microcyclic conidiation, undifferentiated conidiogenous hyphae (phialides), polymorphic conidia and solitary, opposite to whorled type of phialidic arrangement are reported here as the characteristic features of asexual stage of C. militaris, which can be distinguished from other Cordyceps species.
Agar ; Cordyceps* ; Germination ; Glucose ; Head ; Hyphae ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Spores, Fungal ; Water ; Yeasts

Acromegaly and hyperprolactinemia have been described in association with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. The pathogenic mechanisms of this endocrinopathy are not clear. We experienced a 19-year-old male with hypersecretion of GH, hyperprolactinemia and fibrous dysplasia. He was referred for evaluation of suspected acromegaly. He had no skin pigmentation. Plasma GH, PRL, somatomedin-C, LH, FSH, testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, T3, T4, TSH and cortisol were measured. Among those, the levels of plasma GH, PRL and somatomedin-C were high. Serum alkaline phosphatase was increased. OGTT did not suppress plasma OH concentration and GH showed paradoxical response to TRH and LHRH. GH was suppressed after a test-dose of somatastatin and bromocriptine. Brain MRI demonstrated a mass lesion in sella turcica and another mass lesions in nasal cavity and posterior occipital bone. Whole body bone scan revealed increased uptake in skull, nasal bone, both 9th posterior rib, both femurs, both tibias, left scapular and pelvic bone. These fmdings were consistent with bone tumor such as fibrous dysplasia. We report a case with incomplete MeCune-Albright syndrome including acromegaly, hyperprolactinemia and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.
Acromegaly ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Brain ; Bromocriptine ; Estradiol ; Femur ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nasal Bone ; Nasal Cavity ; Occipital Bone ; Pelvic Bones ; Plasma ; Progesterone ; Ribs ; Sella Turcica ; Skin Pigmentation ; Skull ; Testosterone ; Tibia ; Young Adult

Breast reconstruction with free TRAM flap is a common procedure. However patients with abdominal scars can be confronted with a challenging problem in performing flap reconstruction. The inadequate blood supply around the scar can result in various skin complications in flap or donor site, but there are no reported guidelines in our country. From May 1999 to March 2003, a total of 38 breast reconstructions using free TRAM flaps were performed for 37 patients, of whom 12 had abdominal scars from previous operations; 7 had midline vertical scars and 4 had low transverse scars from Cesarean section or total hysterectomy, 3 had right lower quadrant oblique scars from appendectomy (2 also had transverse scars from Cesarean section). We attempted to minimize flap and donor site complications by modifying classic free TRAM flap designs and procedures according to the characteristics of the abdominal scars and performed periodic follow-up observations of flaps and donor sites for presence of complications and also gave surveys for patient satisfaction on the reconstructed breast. All 38 patients underwent successful breast reconstructions with neither skin complications around the scar nor flap loss and 96.4% patients reported being very satisfied or satisfied with the results.
Appendectomy ; Breast* ; Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Mammaplasty* ; Patient Satisfaction ; Pregnancy ; Skin ; Tissue Donors

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficacy of intravaginally administered misoprostol (PGE1 analogue) versus intravenously administered oxytocin for labor induction at term. METHODS: Among 63 patients over 37 weeks, randomly selected 42 patients were vaginally administered 25 micro gram of misoprostol every 3 hours and the other 21 patients were intravenously administered every minute from 1 mIU/min to 10 mIU/min increasingly. RESULT: The average interval from initiation of induction to labor was notably shorter in oxytocin group than in misoprostol group (204.5+/-332.6 min versus 528.1+/-591.8 min, p<0.02). The average interval from initiation of induction to vaginal delivery was shorter in oxytocin group than in misoprostol group (414.4+/-309.4 min versus 528.1+/-519.8 min, P<0.01) and the difference has statistical meaning. Procedure of labor were divided by 3 stages. We checked the duration of each stage between the two comparative groups. 1st stage (242.7+/-150.14 min versus 605.5+/-805.8 min, P<0.05) 2nd stage (12.6+/-11.9 min versus 19.5+/-11.2 min, P<0.05) The stage duration of oxytocin group was shortened. There was no difference between two groups at the third stage. The incidence of tachysystole, hypertonics, hyperstimulation, meconium passage, abnormal fetal heart rate, fetal weight, apgar score, neonatal morbidity were not different between two group. CONCLUSION: Intravenously administered oxytocin was more effective in shortening labor time than intravaginally administered misoprostol in overall induction labor, but there was no notable difference in the effects on mothers and babies. Considering various situational factors, careful selection should be administered.
Apgar Score ; Female ; Fetal Weight ; Heart Rate, Fetal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meconium ; Misoprostol* ; Mothers ; Oxytocin* ; Pregnancy

In an attempt to clarify the relationshop between left ventricular function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), systolic time intervals were measured in 79 control subjects and 60 patients with COPD who had no evidence of organic heart disease. The patients with COPD were divided into three groups based on the percent predicted forced expired volume in one second. Significant differences in pre-ejection period index(PEPI) and left ventricular ejection time index(LVETI) existed between the control subjects and the patients with the most severe lung disease(Group III). A highly significant difference in PEP/LVET existed between these two groups. The abnormalities of systolic time intervals demonstrated in these patients are characteristic of left ventricular dysfunction and indicate that left ventricular dysfunction is frequently present in patients with moderate obstructive lung disease.
Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Systole* ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Ventricular Function, Left